The AA

Venice Biennale: Marghera Pasts, Presents and Futures

Margherissima, Forte Marghera, Venice Architecture Biennale 2025. Photo credit to (AB)NORMAL Studio, Tiziano Ercoli and Riccardo Giancola.

Dates

Summer 2026

Brief

Cycle 1: 30 June - 21 July 2025

This is the first of a two-part workshop building on the AA’s Venice Biennale project, Margherissima, through open-ended interventions. Margherissima is a speculative project that imagines a new neighbourhood on 44 hectares of derelict land in the south-east corner of the vast area of Marghera, home to the one of the busiest ports in Italy. Our explorations will imagine how the large-scale model’s evolution and afterlife could shape Marghera’s future. As part of the Venice Biennale’s public programme for the AA’s Special Director Project, the workshops will take place at Forte Marghera and across Biennale venues in Venice.

In the first workshop, participants will develop Margherissima’s vision through surveying and scanning existing conditions, searching through archival data and fabricating new model components that propose alternative scenarios for the region. The resulting interventions will be integrated into the existing 15-metre-long model exhibited at the Biennale. The second workshop will take place in November – more information to follow.

METHODOLOGY

Gathering: We will begin the week with exercises capturing Marghera’s past and present realities in relation to the island of Venice. These will be carried out through urban exploration, scanning fieldwork and spatial research.

Processing: We will experiment with and manipulate our gathered material, refine our analysis of the territory and identify key narrative threads. This will involve hands-on workshops, seminars and lectures.

Producing: We will master fabrication methods and consolidate our propositions.

Exhibiting: We will incorporate our interventions into the large-scale model presented at the Venice Biennale.

KEY FEATURES

Design, make and exhibit as part of the 2025 Venice Biennale.
Enjoy free entry to the Venice Biennale exhibitions at Arsenale and Giardini.
Biennale tour with Director Carlo Ratti (TBC).
Gain cultural and critical understanding of Marghera and Venice’s urban context.
Form a narrative argument around Marghera’s transformation.
Experiment with 3D scanning, processing and manipulation.
Explore GIS, spatial data collection and cartographic techniques.
Engage with a variety of experimental model-making techniques incorporating found materials.
Enjoy spending free evenings exploring the island of Venice and staying in the historic site of Forte Marghera.

Fees

£60 - Non-refundable deposit required from all applicants. This amount will be deducted from the total fees listed below.
£1210 - Full fee including £60 AA Digital Membership and entry to the Biennale.
£920 - AA full-time students and entry to the Biennale.
£1038 - Melbourne University Students including £60 AA Digital Membership and Entry to the Biennale.

Fees do not include flights.
Students need to bring their own laptops. All making materials included.

ACCOMMODATION

Sponsored on-site shared accommodation including a kitchen. It is not mandatory to make use of the accommodation, but fees cannot be reduced for those not taking this option.

For more information on accommodation, please contact the Programme Heads: hiroaki.yamane@aaschool.ac.uk, gritzerstein@aaschool.ac.uk and james.emery@aaschool.ac.uk.

Flights, travel and food are not included.

Applications

By submitting an application to the programme, participants confirm that they have read, understood, and agreed to the AA Visiting School Terms and Conditions.

As only a small number of places are available for this programme, we advise you to secure your place as soon as possible by completing the online application and making a full payment of the fees.

1. Standard Application:

Click on "Apply" to log in or create an account on the Applicant’s portal.
Submit your details and payment of the deposit fee. The deposit reserves your place in the programme but does not confirm you are fully registered.
Log in to the Applicant’s portal to pay the remaining fee, upload documents, monitor the status of your application and more.

2. AA Students and Melbourne University Students.

Click on "Apply" to log in or create an account with your AA Student or Melbourne University email address on the Applicant’s portal.
Submit your details and payment of the deposit fee. The deposit reserves your place in the programme but does not confirm you are fully registered.

Eligibility

The programme is open to anyone interested or involved in the fields of landscape, architecture, design, humanities, geography, philosophy, material and cultural studies.

Visas

All participants travelling from abroad are responsible for securing any visa required and are advised to contact their home embassy early. An official letter can be issued by the AA Visiting School confirming enrolment onto the programme once an applicant has settled their deposit payment.

Insurance

All participants are responsible for securing their own travel and health insurance. Please ensure that your travel insurance also covers your personal belongings i.e. laptop, equipment, tools, passport, etc. The AA takes no responsibility for lost or stolen property.

Biographies

James Emery is an architect and artist based in London. He studied architecture at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Danish Academy, and later trained under Peter Zumthor at his atelier in Haldenstein. After graduating with Honours from the Architectural Association in 2022, he worked at several London-based architectural practices before teaching at the AA and co-founding Emery & Saito, a multidisciplinary studio based between London and Tokyo.

Sheer Gritzerstein is an architecture practitioner, researcher and educator who specialises in spatial analysis. She previously worked as a geographic intelligence researcher and as a sailing educator before completing her BArch and MArch at the Architecture Association in 2024. Her work explores architecture as a navigation practice and the culture of comfort in the Anthropocene.

Hiroaki Yamane studied at the Architectural Association and graduated with Diploma Honours in 2024. Prior to studying at the AA, he worked in the technology industry in the US, serving as a creative technologist specialised in designing interactive experiences and prototyping for research and development projects. He now collaborates with the Fondazione Giorgio Cini’s Digital Centre (ARCHiVe), Territorial Agency, 6a architects and Dunhill and O’Brien to explore his interests at the intersection of entropy, computation and the architecture of memory.